Friday Email Bag

Each Friday I publish your comments and answer your questions. To submit a comment or questions please email me at [email protected]

Mick, with you being the golf aficionado that you are, I heard a rumor that our football field has the same drainage system as Augusta National has for their greens. Is this true? Whatever we have, it sure was impressive looking Saturday night while holding up tremendously during the monsoon! What a game!

Go Tigers

Thanks

Cole

Cole,

The system you are talking about is called a subair system. It sucks the water out of the top layer of the surface. The stadium doesn't have a subair but it is a sand based field that has an extensive drainage system underneath the surface. The field drains as well as any could imagine and that showed last Saturday.

Mickey,

Any week that includes Clemson winning and South Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame all losing is a good one and the cliffhanger win by the Tigers over The Irish make last week a GREAT week. We exchanged e-mails last week where I said the game with Notre Dame was absolutely the most important one if Clemson is to make a run at the playoffs and with caution, you replied that it too early to talk about playoffs.

Now the time to talk about playoffs has come and now Georgia Tech is the biggest game not just because it is next but because at least one eye must be on a potential Playoff spot.

Whether Clemson is one of the top 4 teams in the country will be determined in the next couple of months but what will not change is that an undefeated Clemson or Florida State will make the Playoffs because of schedules. A quick look at schedules shows that it is only possible for either Baylor or TCU to go undefeated, both play Oklahoma so all 3 could have a loss. The same possibility exists for LSU, Florida and Texas A&M because there are games among the 3. Ohio State and Michigan State play so at least one of those will have a loss.

My point last week was that a win against Notre Dame, in maybe the biggest game in 34 years, would keep hopes for a Playoff spot alive and now the same goes for all the games this year as long as Clemson stays undefeated. Regardless of whether or not an undefeated Clemson team is ready this year for the Playoffs, because of the schedules of the other top teams, the only thing that matters is going undefeated. Just ask Florida State if going undefeated last year made the difference in making or not making the Playoffs because being undefeated is al that matters.

Andy

Andy,

I am not sure it is time to talk about playoffs yet. There is a lot of football to be played. Let's wait until November to get into that. Every year we love doing this, but every year there are major upsets. Who would have thought Florida would have thumped Ole Miss last week? This thing is just started. Let's get into November.

I am worried sick about the Georgia Tech game. This is a major trap game. The Notre Dame was huge, but that one is over. Tech scares me to death.

Mickey,

I am really getting too old for these types of games - LOL. I thought we owned the line of scrimmage and if ND has the best offensive line in the country, I really like our defense. What we need to learn is how to put teams away. The game should never have been in question. I think we got very conservative (understandable given the conditions), but if you give a team like ND or FSU the slightest glimmer of hope, they will take advantage. I believe this is the next step in the maturation of coaching staff to become elite. Elite teams understand how to put finish and that starts with the coaches. I think playing GT is the perfect follow up game given what happened last year and how difficult it is to play them, so I don’t think we will see a ND hangover.

Great wins over two very good teams for the tigers—in louisville and Notre Dame. I have to say that I really look forward to the tigers playing in big games. 10 years ago I dreaded the prospects of Clemson having to play Florida State, i worried about Ralph Freidgen out coaching us, I wondered when the tigers would get over the recruiting hump. It is really enjoy watching the tigers step up in big games, win or lose! Dabo is right his team brings “guts”. A couple of questions: I feel like D. Watson is playing stiff or too mechanical. Is this because the tigers are play-calling very conservatively? Our running game looks very good to me. Why do I feel like the play callers hold it back just a bit? Are they afraid of Wayne’s fatigue or turnovers?
Charone PeakeCharone PeakeGr. Wide Receiver#19 6-2, 214Moore, SCView Full Profile
seems absent in the passing game with Renfrow and Scott and the two Freshman potentials getting the ball. What gives? Finally, who and when originated the word “clemsoning”? I’m tired of it. How about that teams is “Ole Missing, or we are witnessing an Auburning”?

~Nate

Nate,

Watson has not played great yet. The first two games he only played a half in each. In the Louisville game he made three mistakes. In the Notre Dame game the weather was awful. But he has been a major factor in the run game. I expect him to have bigger passing games but the receivers have to help him out as well. Peake has not been productive. I think confidence has become as issue. I am finished discussing that term you used. I would google it if I were you, but I am finished even discussing it.

Mickey,

Can you please get the idiots who disrespect you on a daily basis off of Tigernet. They add nothing. They are asses who have nothing better to do than to wait on you to make a mistake then pounce on you. Who are these idiots and why do they get their kicks out of jumping on you on a daily basis? What the hell is the Mackey stuff? Disrespectful. Kick them off the site PLEASE!

Robert

Robert,

I tell you like I tell anyone else, the blog is free and you don't have to read it. My suggestion is to not read their comments. I seldom do but went back on a couple after you called my attention to it. They are entitled to their opinion and lets be honest, I don't type well and I certainly can't proof my own stuff. I use a website to proof it but sometimes it misses somethings. We all make mistakes. Most of mine occur in typing and proofing. All of this is supposed to be fun, so Let them have fun. I don't know what Mackey means but if they enjoy it then let them have fun. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and tigernet forums are fair game and fun.

MP

Well glad Tigers won.

After 4 games, I can't help but wonder if the offense is missing
Chad MorrisChad MorrisOffensive Coordinator / QBsView Full Profile
. I wish you would do an article on how the Co-OC status is working out. I am not convinced this arrangement is good for the offense. Plus not sure that Elliott and Scott are right for the position. Did play calling get too conservative in the 4th qtr when Clemson had a 21-3 lead?

thx

William

William,

They miss
Mike WilliamsMike WilliamsJr. Wide Receiver#7 6-4, 213Vance, SCView Full Profile
more than they miss Chad Morris. I wish they would have been more conservative. I wish they wouldn't have thrown the deep ball that got picked off in the endzone. They ran the ball all of the way down to the Irish's 33-yard line then on first and ten they threw a pick. I wish it would have stayed conservative.

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